Qi Feng rushed out to find Pei Yan in a fit of anger, but now standing in the hallway, he felt conflicted. What could he say upon seeing Pei Yan? Warn him to stop this behavior?
Hmph, if Pei Yan listened to him, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point. But doing nothing didn’t seem right either, not knowing how far Pei Yan would take things.
Just as Qi Feng was lost in indecision, the door across from him suddenly opened. Pei Yan walked out, as if he had already seen Qi Feng standing there from inside the room. “Qi Feng, you came looking for me?” he asked excitedly, a smile playing on his lips, his dark eyes shining as they looked at just one person.
Qi Feng was surprised by Pei Yan’s sudden appearance. Glancing around, he frowned and asked, “Have you been monitoring me this whole time?”
“I’m not that much of a creep,” Pei Yan laughed in explanation. “I was about to head out when I saw you standing here on the monitor. Did you need something? Come in, let’s talk.”
He gestured invitingly to his open door and said, “I’ve furnished the place and stocked your favorite tea. Want to come in?”
Qi Feng shook his head. “Pei Yan, you know very well why I’m here to see you.”
Pei Yan tilted his head. “I don’t know, why?”
Qi Feng took a deep breath and said gravely, “I already told you I don’t like you behaving this way. Please stop disturbing my life. There is no possibility between us.”
“I never said I wanted you to be with me,” Pei Yan actually laughed, completely shameless. “I’m just chasing the star I like, like all your other fans who call you ‘gege’ every day and profess their love to you online.”
“I don’t even dare to call you ‘gege,’ much less say the words ‘I love you.'”
Qi Feng: “That’s different! They aren’t making headlines every day like you are!”
“Don’t be angry,” Pei Yan coaxed. “If you really don’t like me, just directly issue a statement online saying ‘I don’t like Pei Yan’ to let everyone know you hate me chasing you relentlessly…”
“Pei Yan!” Qi Feng knew he was being deliberately difficult but still couldn’t help his agitated response, interrupting angrily, “What exactly are you trying to do? I won’t be with you. You’re only making me dislike you more by carrying on like this!”
Ding dong! The elevator on their floor suddenly rose up with a chime and swished open.
Qi Feng’s heated words were abruptly cut off as he turned in surprise to see a stern middle-aged man step out of the elevator. “U-Uncle Pei…” Qi Feng stammered.
Seeing his father, Pei Yan shrugged helplessly. “Dad, you were able to find me even here. As expected from the chairman of Donghai Group.”
Pei Junhai did not say anything, his face dark as he strode over. The tall, handsome man breezed past Qi Feng and went straight for Pei Yan. He raised his hand and landed a resounding slap on Pei Yan’s cheek. The crisp, forceful sound echoed jarringly in the luxurious hallway, making one’s heart tremble with fear.
Qi Feng watched wide-eyed as Pei Junhai suddenly lashed out. Pei Yan’s head jerked to the side from the blow, his sturdy body swaying.
“Good-for-nothing!” Pei Junhai berated Pei Yan. “Skipping work all these days, shirking your responsibilities, just to go around harassing others everywhere. Pei Yan, take a look at what you’ve been up to these past few days!”
“Chasing stars all the way to their doorsteps, flaunting your rotten money, making a spectacle all over town. Do you have any shame left?”
Pei Yan dabbed at the blood on his lip and scoffed, “Old guy, you’ve still got quite the heavy hand.”
Pei Junhai grabbed Pei Yan by the front of his shirt with one hand and dragged him towards his home. “You bastard, I’m beating you to death today.”
“U-Uncle Pei…” Qi Feng chased after them on instinct, anxiously pleading, “Don’t be angry. Pei Yan didn’t actually…”
He knew Pei Junhai’s temperament – he wouldn’t hold back once he started hitting. No wonder Pei Yan had developed such a fearless personality.
Only then did Pei Junhai look at Qi Feng. In a low voice, he said, “You go back. Pei Yan was in the wrong these past few days, disturbing your life. But don’t worry, he won’t bother you anymore after this.”
With that, he dragged Pei Yan off again.
“No, Uncle Pei. I’m partially at fault, too, in this matter. Don’t be like this,” Qi Feng chased after them, instinctively speaking up in Pei Yan’s defense before he could stop himself.
Pei Junhai looked back at him in surprise.
Pei Yan’s swollen face lifted into a smile, his deep dark eyes gazing intently at the boy who cared enough to worry for him.
Only then did Qi Feng realize how inappropriate it was to say such a thing in front of Pei Junhai. Heart racing, he lowered his eyes, not daring to face Pei Junhai.
“I heard everything you said earlier.”
When Pei Junhai got out of the elevator, he heard what Qi Feng said to Pei Yan.
His impression of Qi Feng had been very positive. When he saw the sensational headlines about #PeiYanQiFengCP#, he felt it was his son taking advantage of his money and status to stir up public opinion and tarnish Qi Feng’s reputation. Hearing Qi Feng’s words from earlier confirmed this belief, angering him even more at Pei Yan.
“Qi Feng, it’s my fault for not keeping Pei Yan in check, letting him act so recklessly to ruin your reputation. I will discipline him. As for the rumors about you two, I will also make sure it gradually dies down.”
With that said, he dragged Pei Yan and roughly shoved him into the room, slamming the door shut with a bang.
Qi Feng stood frozen outside the closed door for a long while, at a loss for what to do.
Returning home, Fang Cheng, who had been anxiously waiting for him, hurried over to ask about what happened. “How did it go? Did you reach an understanding with Pei Yan?”
Qi Feng instructed him, “Go buy some medicine.”
Fang Cheng: ??? “What medicine?”
“For bruises.”
Fang Cheng: ! “Did you get hurt?”
“Not me, Pei Yan. Uncle Pei is beating him up.”
Fang Cheng: !!
Qi Feng urged impatiently, “What are you standing around for? Hurry and go buy it!”
“Oh, right, right!” Still full of questions, Fang Cheng ran out to purchase the medicine.
Qi Feng was uneasy, standing alone, watching the hallway on the monitor. If Pei Junhai came out of Pei Yan’s place, he would see it from here.
But a long, long time passed without any movement outside.
Was Uncle Pei still not done hitting him? How badly beaten would Pei Yan be?
Thinking back carefully, it seemed Pei Yan was often beaten by Uncle Pei because of him. The first time was when Pei Yan coaxed him to play in the water, causing him to catch a cold. The second time, Pei Yan had stolen imperial ice for him. The third time, he had been locked up in prison, and Pei Yan desperately tried to rescue him. The fourth time, at the music hall, Pei Yan fought with other patrons because of him…and so on and so on.
Never learning his lesson, always stubbornly clinging to him. Qi Feng suddenly smiled. Looking back now, he remembered every single incident so clearly.
There was movement on the monitor screen. Qi Feng quickly looked – it was Pei Junhai walking stonily to the elevator and leaving.
“Pei Yan.”
Qi Feng immediately went out, but after taking two steps, he hesitated and stopped. In the end, he took out his phone and sent Pei Yan a message:
【Are you okay?】
This was the first time he had messaged Pei Yan in over a month since leaving Pei Yan’s home. It was also the first contact between them. He didn’t expect the chat window to become active again after such a long silence. The other party replied very promptly.
Pei Yan: 【It hurts so much, I can’t even stand up. Will you come over and help me?】
Qi Feng: 【I’ll have Fang Cheng take you to the hospital in a bit.】
Pei Yan: 【Go to the hospital?】
【Then tomorrow’s headlines will all be: The president of Donghai Group can’t stand up after being beaten by his dad for pestering a little star.】
【I still want to keep some face.】
You still care about face? Qi Feng was even more exasperated inwardly and also wanted to know what exactly Pei Yan had said to Uncle Pei.
Unable to restrain himself, he pushed open the door and went out. Same as before, it was as if Pei Yan had been watching his door the whole time. Before he could even ring the doorbell, the door swung open for him.
“Qi Feng.” The man at the door revealed a happy face, cheerfully asking, “You’re that worried about me?”
“You…” Qi Feng looked him up and down. Other than the swollen cheek, he was impeccably dressed and full of spirit. Nowhere did he look like someone who “can’t stand up after a beating.”
Qi Feng gave a cold snort and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, Pei Yan overstepped this time. He grabbed Qi Feng’s arm and said, “Don’t be angry. It’s my fault. Or you can beat me up until I can’t stand to vent your anger.”
“I’m not in the mood to joke with you.” Qi Feng shook off his hand. “What did you say to Uncle Pei just now?”
Pei Yan: “I told him I’m serious about you. In this lifetime, I either won’t marry, or I’ll marry you, Qi Feng.”
“How dare you!”
“That’s how it is. If you don’t accept me, then I’ll just keep chasing you. After all, you won’t fall for anyone else.”
Qi Feng: “Don’t be so sure of yourself. How do you know I won’t like someone else?”
Pei Yan was silent for a moment, chuckling softly, “Because I know you won’t.”
As if on cue, Fang Cheng, who had run out to buy medicine, chose this moment to return. Seeing the two people standing in the hall, he hurried over and said, “Xiao Feng, I bought the medicine back. Is Mr. Pei hurt badly?”
Pei Yan’s smile softened. He gently brushed Qi Feng’s fingertips and murmured in a low voice, gaze lowered, “See? Because I know you’ll be good to me, little one.”
Those last two words were spoken extremely softly, like a breath slipping past his lips. Slow and heavy.
Qi Feng suddenly looked at Pei Yan, pupils shocked and contracted, as if to confirm again whether Pei Yan had really uttered those two words.
Pei Yan’s tall frame drew close to the boy, almost touching his shoulder as he pleaded, “Xiao Feng, although my dad didn’t beat me, he cut off my financial sources. I have no money now. Can you help support me from now on?”
Qi Feng shrank back, stammering incoherently, “You, you…don’t come looking for me again in the future.”
“He doesn’t need it anymore.” Qi Feng fled back home almost as if escaping.
Fang Cheng was baffled. “Xiao Feng, you didn’t give the medicine to Mr. Pei yet, his face is swollen… Xiao Feng, what’s wrong?”
“He’s fine, I’m fine too.” Qi Feng clutched his racing heart, mind blank.
Little one. He had just heard Pei Yan call him that clearly.
That was what Pei Yan had called him the first time they met at the Qi manor. For a long time after that, Pei Yan always called him that.
Why did this Pei Yan suddenly call him “little one” now? Did he remember things about their past lives?!
It suddenly dawned on Qi Feng that Pei Yan’s attitude towards him had changed recently. It seemed to be since that show they did together.
What to do? Qi Feng’s body slumped weakly against the wall.
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. If you want to show your support, you can buy me a coffee. It would make my day! For every five coffees I get, I will release a bonus chapter. You can also follow me on Ko-fi to get the latest updates on my translation progress and new projects. I appreciate your love and feedback.
